Blooming Flower
by IsuCHAN
Summary: [COMPLETE!]Hinata's getting used to being around Neji, it's becoming warmer. And she's blooming into a lovely flower. But strange nin from Sound might ruin this love. Rated T for language, violence, and intimate feelings. NejiHina
1. Chapter 1

Ya, so you all know...this is romance...And it's an incest between Hinata and Neji. Not for this stuff...? Don't read it. I think things are pretty obvious, so I won't put a key. D

Blooming Flower: HinataxNeji

Scroll One — Beginnings

She breathed in heavily, before lifting her eyes to stare at him. Her heart was beating, faster, faster. Hinata Hyuga drew in another breath before standing again.

He partner for the day, Shino, was watching her curiously.

"You're getting stronger." Shino said wisely, eyeing Hinata before nodding his pride in her.

"Thank you, Shino-kun." her voice was soft and gentle — it was too kind to be that of a fighter's. Yet she was. It had been...incredible. After seeing her cousin, Neji Hyuga, and fighting him four years ago, Hinata has improved greatly. And watching Naruto fight him made things seem even better.

"Your strength has amazed us, Hinata." Kurenai-sensei said a few hours later. Hinata stared back at her teacher in silence before nodding politely.

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei." she started softly. "You inspire me." That was only the partial truth. Of course, encouragement from her classmates and teacher raised her confidence, but she was mostly driven by the words Neji had said long before.

"A failure always fails."

But she had proven him wrong. Though still probably not as strong as her cousin, who was a year older than her, she had gained and important amount of strength over the years. Sometimes, she thought of what she would do if she re-met him, and he challenged her to a fight.

Hinata's thoughts were interrupted by Kurenai's smooth voice;

"Today you will being going on a mission alone. I won't be there to protect you. Truly, you should not need me to protect you. You are chunin ninja, journeymen who can do things on you own! You are only with me still to improve your skills enough to go on these mission by yourself and become Jonin! Be your own teachers!

"Anyway...Hinata. You will be heading to the Village Hidden in Sound. When there, ask around for a girl named Farhena. Hopefully, they will know who she is and where to locate her. Bring Farhena back to me. A simple enough task and indulges you knowing how to spy! Now...go!"

Hinata glanced up, taken by surprise when her name was sad. She listened to her master's instructions, stood, nodded, and disappeared.

Scroll One — End

I know, very, VERY short chapter. The next chapters will be longer and better. Please review! I'd love you forever. :D 3 Simone


	2. Chapter 2

**This is chapter two of Blooming Flower. This chap. is dedicated to all of you who have reviewed. You guys seriously own. Neji finally appears! There's a bit of FLUFF! XD I'm a very 'fluffy' person, so my stories have fluff. Yeah so...enjoy!**

Scroll Two — Findings...?

Tak. Tup. Tup. Tap. Tak. Hop.

"Hup!" she shouted as she jumped into another tree, doing her very best to control her chakra. She had been doing this for a few hours, and not only was her chakra becoming weak, but the scenery was making her sick.

It wasn't that she was in an ugly place. It was lush and green and flower filled. But obviously, even the most beautiful things get boring after seeing them again and again for a long period of time.

She glanced around, and jumped from the tree, smiling. She stretched her back and arms quickly, shaking out her legs and touching her toes. As the muscles were worked, she sighed happily. This was much better.

There was a stream near-by that she walked over to. She tucked her hands into the pure water, cupping the cold crystal liquid within her fingers, hoping that it would stay long enough for her to drink it.

She shuddered as something slimy touched her hand. She frowned, and tried to pull her hands out of the water, but to no avail. The slimy feeling began wrapping up her arms, and her eyes widened.

"Dammit!" she yelped, trying to relax. The seaweed reacted to struggling, but even with her trying to be calm, she was still pulled into the water. The seaweed was wrapping around her, literally trying to swallow her. And then, she couldn't breathe.

Twenty Minutes Later

Her eyes flickered open and she blinked before beginning to panic again. She could feel the oxygen entering her lungs as his lips continued to press against hers. Finally, she shoved the figure off, before coughing up some water.

She turned her eyes to stare at the person who had revived her. Amazingly, the boy was already sitting a few feet away, cross legged, white eyes upon her.

"Big brother Neji..." she said, trying not to stammer. She lifted her fingers slowly to her lips and touched them gingerly. "You saved me. Why?" she murmured, staring into those sad eyes.

He didn't reply directly, but instead said, "Hinata-sama. You've changed." His voice was less sharp and angry — more sadness then anything else.

"I know." Hinata replied. Unlike her cadet branch cousin, her voice was sharp--perhaps upset. She stood and stared down at the other Hyuga. He continued to avoid her gaze.

"Neji-kun—What are you doing here? Where are Lee-kun and Tenten-san?" she demanded, continuing to glare at him.

"I could ask to the same of you, Hinata-sama." his voice was again hard as he stared back up at her.

Hinata was caught off guard by the question, but responded at once, without hesitating.

"Kurenai-sensei sent us on mission on our lonesome. Now it's your turn." She kept her voice calm and straight. But painful memories flooded her mind. Memories that weren't welcome.

"A leopard doesn't change his spots. A failure always fails. And a weak personality won't become strong."

"About the same here. Gai needed to train Lee and Tenten so he sent me to fetch some supplies from Sound."

She nodded, and then repeated earlier words. "You saved me. Why?" she asked him, still curious to know the answer.

"What was I supposed to do...? You're lucky I came. That seaweed was literally swallowing you up."

"Thank you." Hinata finally said after spending some time thinking the whole thing over. "I am...in your debt." she said softly. Then she realized — yes, it was true. She owed her life to the person who had once almost killed her.

Obviously, that would annoy most people. She sighed inwardly, and ended up saying, "Well...I really should be on my way."

"Wait, Hinata-sama." I have a request of you. I hope you don't mind." Neji said quickly, standing up, She glanced back at him, nervous.

"What is it?" she said softly, glancing at him again nervously.

There was a moment of silence...Then he said...

"Fight me."

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**Did I leave you on the edge of you chair hypervenalating! (spelling? XD) Probably not! Hope you like chapter two! Thanks to all those who reviewed my HORRIBLY short chapter! I'm so happy with this! All of you OWN! Yeah, so, review please! xD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, this is the third chapter of the NejixHina incest! I'm sorry, I keep forgetting to put a disclaimer! So here it is:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of tha characters. The only thing that belongs to me is the plot. I am not selling this to make money. **

**Anyway...Scroll Three, here we GO! Enjoy...

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Scroll Three — Heartfelt

"Wha...what? Why?" Hinata couldn't disguise the slight panic that had entered her voice. But...she could not escape his cold, glistening stare either. She looked back at him, and solemnly nodded.

"Neji-niisan...I accept your challenge!"

Carefully, she took her 'gentle fist' stance. About a second later, Neji was in the same exact stance, staring at her. Hinata's veins began to throb around her eyes, popping quietly. Neji mimicked her, the Byakugan activating.

"Ready..." she began.

"Steady..." Neji whispered...

And at the same time, the cousins yelled out; "GO!"

She leapt at him, her speed incredible, thrusting her palm at him in every direction. The 'genius' dodged, but just barely, eyes getting wider. Neji swore under his breath as she spun on her spot, getting closer to hitting him with every attack.

It seemed impossible for him to attack her while she was going this fast. If he did, even if he only tried for half a second, she would be able to hit him, and he would be blown backwards, defeated by the powerful blow.

He skidded backwards, and watched her calm face in amazement. He could see that she was trying hard — but it wasn't making a dent in her stamina. While he was paying attention to her facial expression, however, she attacked.

THUD. Neji hit the hard tree and was walloped to the ground. Blood trickled from his forehead as his he swooned, then closed his eyes, fainting.

Hinata was breathing heavily as she stared at her older cousin. She wiped her mouth and bent besides him, panting hard. It had been a tough match. She had been trying her hardest to hit him, but his defense had been too great. She was lucky she was so fast...if she hadn't been, he would've hit her a lot quicker.

She sighed, sitting besides him in the Spring grass, carefully using her chakra to heal the bruise on his chest, and then the wound the tree had caused on his head. Tired from using up most of her chakra to fight and heal, she rested her head on the tree, and quickly fell asleep. Little did she know, however, that in her sleep, her head dropped. Then her entire body went a little to the right. And plop. Her head was in Neji's lap.

**_Intermission: The next part until it's un-bolded was written by my great friend, Cold-Melissa. Thanks so much Melissa! READ HER FIC._**

**_End Intermission_**

**When she woke, Neji had his arms lightly around her neck, her head in his lap. Hinata blushed and quickly sat up. She then faced a quite awake, yet smiling, Neji.**

**"Thank you for healing my wounds, Hinata-sama. In the middle of the night you were shivering so I put my arms around you and you stopped." he added hastily, sounding slightly embarrassed.**

Hinata sat up more straightly and blinked at him. She did remember that she had felt cold last night in her dreams — she also remembered the warmth, as if a fire had been kindled inside of her.

"You're welcome." she finally said. "And thank you, too. Had I known it would be so cold, I might have remembered to give you one of the blankets I have packed. I'm sorry." But why exactly was he being so kind? She was greatly confused at this politeness. The last time they had met...he had seen so harsh and unforgiving. So why?

"Well...Neji-niisan. I truly should be on my way now. There's no point in us staying together. You also should be leaving so get whatever Gai-sensei said you needed to pick up." But one problem occurred to her. Though it wasn't really a problem — maybe even more a solution. Both Neji and Hinata would be going to the same place, headed in the same direction. What would be the point of their splitting up?

"Where are you headed, Hinata-sama?" asked Neji curiously, politely though. Hinata first considered not answering — then she remembered the debt she owed him.

"To Sound." she replied. "I am to find a person by the name Farhena. Probably a friend of Kurenai-sensei." Hinata explained to her cousin.

"Well..." Neji's voice was slightly nervous. "It'd be safer fror...for both of us, I mean...if we went together. Of course, that's up to you..." He trailed off, looking away.

Another question he asked that caught her off guard. He was so different. Truly, she didn't mind this kinder, gentler Neji. She vaguely wondered what had happened to him to make him so — there really was no other word to explain it — nice.

"You're right." she said as calmly as possible, trying to keep the giddy feeling of no longer being alone from showing. She couldn't, however, no matter how hard she tried, hide the smile that spread across her lips, which seemed to trail over to Neji, as if an incredibly contagious disease.

End Scroll Three

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**So? What'd you think of Scoll Three? Aren't you happy I'm updating so quickly? xP There are 11 Scrolls (I know, it's so short!) and I hope to finish this story soon! I have them all written! Just need to type 'em! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome to CHAPTER FOUR! Sorry it took so long to update. / I've been having trouble making Melissa give me back my notebook! oo Anyway...please enjoy. More fluff! xP REVIEW PLEASE. **

Scroll Four — Understanding

It felt strange to be with someone again. She was able to smile and laugh. She felt light. For some reason, it made her feel normal. Hinata had never acted like this around anyone else. Around Naruto, she was always nervous and stutter-y. Of course, she had gotten over her crush on the boy almost two years ago, when she had finally realized that he was beyond her reach. It hadn't been worth her trouble.

Neji glanced over to the dark-haired girl and stared for a few seconds. Hinata was busy setting up camp for the night. It was nearly dark outside, but she ignored that completely, continuing to set out the blankets in the large, conveniently placed patch of dirt under a huge tree. She stood up and brushed herself off, admiring her work

"Neji-niisan...it's getting late. We should probably go to sleep." For a moment, Neji didn't answer. He stared at her with intensity before nodding.

The two had spent the last few days repeating this routine. Hinata set up camp while Neji cooked. Yes, she made Neji cook. They would then eat, perhaps talk for a while, before going to sleep.

Hinata thoroughly enjoyed this. It unfortunately fell apart a few days later when Neji came down with a slight cold.

"Hinata..." the boy complained weakly, his voice hoarse. "I don't feel very good."

Hinata sighed. "You shouldn't have been so reckless." she replied, pressing the back of her cool palm against his warm curse-seal, before getting a blanket and thermometer. She stuck the thermometer under his tongue before helping him wrap the blanket around his shoulder. She took a rag and placed it in cool water before wringing it out and pressing the cool cloth against his forehead.

"There. Your temperature is 100.4 (Farenheit.) Promise me you'll rest, okay?" Hinata said a few minutes later, after removing the thermometer.

Neji sniffed and said, "Alright, I promise." before lying down and falling asleep.

Hinata made herself dinner before dousing the fire with cold water. When the rag on Neji's forehead had dried out, she darted as quickly as possible to the nearest stream to get a fresh bucket.

Though unwillingly, Hinata fell into a restless sleep, waking in the early morning. She yawned and opened her eyes, glancing around the camp. Neji wasn't there.

Panic started to flood her mind. What if someone had come and kidnapped him in the middle of the night? Hinata began yelling his name again and again, but the only reply was the chirping of the crickets and the birdsong. She fell weakly to her knees, tears stinging her eyes. How could he be gone? They had only been together a few days, but her heart was aching horribly. Tears streamed down her cheeks, she was in too much pain to both trying to stop them.

"Hinata? Why are you crying?" Someone's hands gripped her shoulders and she lifted her head to look up. Neji was kneeling in front of her, frowning. "What's wrong? You look devastated..." However, he didn't wait to hear her reply. Carefully, he wiped away her tears, before pulling her into a warm hug.

She didn't resist his pull, but instead continued to cry, though they were tears of joy by now, wrapping her arms around his neck. For a few long minutes, they stayed in this position. Neither Hyuga seemed to understand their feelings. It was like holding on for dear life.

It could have been just a few seconds, but it felt like it had lasted a few lighted days. Neither of the Hyugas knew when to let out. Finally, Hinata did, and stood shakily.

Neji lifted his gaze to stare at her. She stared right back. "Hinata—" Hinata noted he was no longer calling her Sama — "Why were you crying?"

She blushed softly and stared at the ground. "Because...I didn't know where you were. I was worried that you were still sick and someone had stolen you away or something..." Memories of something of the sort happening to her when she was a child came back to her and she felt her heart twist, remembering that Neji's father had been sacrificed for her father's sake. "For all I knew...you were dead. And that scared me! I didn't want you to be gone..." Her words started coming out without her thinking about it. Hinata gasped inwardly and clapped her hand over her mouth. 'Did I...really mean that!' she asked herself. She wasn't really sure.

"I'm so sorry..." Neji said, and he truly looked it. "I meant to be back before you woke up. It was stupid of me. I suppose I must have miscalculated. You weren't supposed to wake up for a few hours."

Hinata sniffed and said quietly, "Promise me...Promise me you won't leave unless you tell me." Neji smiled.

"I promise." he replied, before wrapping his arms around her back and grasping her into another hug.

Sure, she didn't understand why he was hugging her, but she also knew, in her heart, she didn't really mind. Not only was he feeling better, and being much nicer, but he was — what exactly was he? It had occurred to her, just vaguely in her mind, that he meant to kill her. That seemed impossible, somehow. It was just too easy to be with him.

None of that seemed to matter. Returning the hug, she laughed, finally at ease.

End Scroll Four

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**Squee! So, what'd my faithful readers think of Scroll Four? This might be the longest chapter I've written. GA-GASP! I should be updating HinaxSasu soon...If I made typos, please try and ignore them! They shouldn't be that harsh. **

**Much Luff,  
Simoneh**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yep! I've already updated! XD This is another short chapter...I thought it was longer. So, it's fair. You get a somewhat long chap and this crap. Actually, I like this chapter. Yup! Here's a disclaimer...sorry I don't put 'em often enough. Think it's kinda obvious this wonderousness doesn't belong to moi.**

**Disclaimer: Me don't own Naruto. Heartbreaker. Not selling this neither

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Scroll Five — Tears**

"There's a town up ahead." said Hinata in relief a few days later. "How lucky. I'm running out of food." she said, lifting her light bag.

"Yes, and even luckier, we should be there before nightfall. We can buy what we need tomorrow morning, then continue on our way to Sound." was Neji's response.

About an hour later, the two were at the village. The sun was slowly setting, its light blood-red against the glowing dark sky. For a moment, Hinata stared, watching the setting sun, perplexed by the simple beauty.

"Hinata...come on, we should hurry." Neji grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards a nearby Inn.

Once they were there, Hinata stated nervously, "Um...this is all I have." She presented to Neji a few pathetic coins. "I'm sorry." she mumbled, feeling like the stuttering would come back.

Neji shrugged it off. "Not a big deal. Gai-sensei gave me some extra money. Perhaps he was anticipating something of this sort?" Neji said, now mostly to himself. He scowled slightly. That was exactly the kind of thing Gai would do. Fortunatly for both Hinata and Neji, they knew that Kurenai would not sink to that low level. It must just be a coincidence. It had to be.

Hinata hastily pocketed the counts while Neji paid for a room and took the key. Seeing him glance at her, Hinata jumped and rushed after him. He unlocked the door, which led to one large room with two twin beds, a small refrigerator, a cupboard, and a safe.

Hinata fell onto the soft bed nearest the door with a sigh. She wrapped herself in the blankets in relief. "This is so much better than sleeping outside..." she said, closing her eyes. Neji smiled at her from his spot standing near the door.

"Much more comfortable than the cold hard ground..." she murmured, resting her head on the pillow. Soon the room was filled with nothing besides her steady breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

Neji sat next to her on the small bed gently and touched her hair. For a few silent minutes, he listened to her breath. He then laid down next to her, his eyes watching the back of her hair. He stroked it in the quiet room for a few moments. Two tears fell down his cheeks, and he was asleep.

Hinata woke up to complete darkness. At first, she was confused, worried. Then she realized the blackness was moving, and it tickled against her chin. As shock lifted in her, she tried her best to suppress a giggle. The darkness that blinded her was Neji's hair.

A minute later, it was gone. Neji sat up, rubbing the curse-seal on his forehead vigorously. He yawned, stretched, and looked down at Hinata as she sat up.

"Good morning, Neji-niisan." she said calmly, smiling at her cousin. He looked back down at her, surprised by the calmness in her voice. He then smiled back at her and stood, glancing around the room.

"I suppose we should go shopping soon." he said hastily, watching Hinata as she nodded and stood. She brushed her bangs away, glanced into the mirror, and walked towards the door.

"You ready?" Her voice was perfectly pleasant. Neji nodded, and followed her out of the room.

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**Obviously, that was Scroll Five. What'd you think? ) Personally, I really like this chapter!**

**Forever Fluffy,  
Simmeh**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is the sixth chapter! This one's gonna end with a cliffhanger! Sorry! Oh yes, so many new characters appear in this scroll! I'm so excited! Yup, so I'm updating this for my loyal reader...Thankees! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters**

**Enjoy.

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Scroll Six — Sacrifice**

The two walked into town silently. Hinata looked healing art items and studied a pair of leather gloves leisurely while Neji headed towards the market to buy some provisions to last the trip. They met in a small store in the middle of town by noon.

Hinata stood in silence, leaning against the counter as she waited fror Neji. Her bag was chocked full of healing ingredients she might need, which were, luckily for her, were not heavy. Neji entered the store, and she saw him carrying his own pack which was filled with provisions to last them the rest of their journey.

"Ready?" Neji asked, tossing his bag over his shoulder. Hinata nodded at him and they left town as quickly as possible.

The forest was calm as they walked through it, still on their way to Sound. Then a thought struck Neji and he frowned. He decided to keep silent. There was no point in worrying Hinata until they were closer

"It's like hitting two birds with one stone, eh, Nynia?"

"Heh...so true. Two Hyugas? Won't it be pleasing to bring their bodies back to Sound? Acceptance is only a bit away..."

"I shiver just thinking about it. Farhena! Speak up!"

"O-oh! I-I'm s-sorry Aiku...I-I wasn't p-p-paying much...a-a-attention."

"Yes, we noticed! Aiku! Farhena! Let's go."

"Right!"

"Y-y-yes, Nynia-sama..."

Neji twitched and looked into the trees. 'Just a bird.' he thought to himself, irritated. He hated being so nervous. Every sound was setting him off. They were getting close to enemy territory. It wasn't going to stay quiet for too much longer.

Suddenly —

"Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata! A pleasure to meet you." Both Neji and Hinata looked up. Hinata gasped her surprise, Neji clenched his fists. In the trees were three ninja.

The first, the one who had called to them was a woman who looked around nineteen, standing between her two companions. Her hair was long and blood red, her eyes a demon like purple. Her arms and chest were covered in black mesh and she wore black pants that nearly covered her traditional Japanese-style sandals. Her Sound forehead protector was tied around her forehead.

The one next to her on her left was a boy, who looked about a year younger than the girl. Neither of his arms were intact, and his eyes were yellow with dark, black pupils, his black hair tied back. He was glaring at Hinata with growing intensity. His forehead protector rested in place around his waist.

The third was another female. She dressed in more appropriate attire. Her sleeves were long and made of mesh, and she wore fingerless gloves of lace. She wore a Chinese style button up shirt, and a tan-ish skirt covered her legs. She wore black boots, and her headband was ted around her neck. Her hair was short, choppy, and orange, and she had pale green eyes.

Hinata swallowed nervously and glanced at Neji for instruction.

"Since you know who we are" — he called — "Tell us who you are." His voice was strong and calm. Hinata was amazed at the steadiness.

"Well, since you're about to die, I suppose it doesn't matter." said the first girl, smirking. "I am Nynia. The girl besides me...That's Farhena. And he's Aiku."

Hinata gasped and her eyes landed on the orange haired girl who looked so nervous. Neji tensed, but didn't get the Byakugan ready. It was three-against-two...if they could get through this unharmed...

"Farhena? It can't be! Farhena-sama...do you know...Master Kurenai of Konoha!" Hinata blurted out without thinking. Neji shot her a hard glare but then turned his attention to Farhena.

The Sound Ninja was in shock. She stuttered a few random words, looking like she'd burst into tears at any moment. She ignored the glare from her teammates and stammered, "What does K-K-Kurenai...Kurenai...How is my sister!"

Farhena's voice was strained and scared. Hinata and Neji both blinked in surprise. Sister? Kurenai had never mentioned a sister...

It seemed that their pondering would be their downfalls. Before either Hyuga could move, Nynia and Aiku were upon them. Nynia lunged at Hinata, Aiku leaping towards Neji.

"Oh!" Hinata cried in surprise, darting backwards. One glance atr Neji, and the veins in her eyes began to pop. She took her stance and attacked, thrusting her hand towards Nynia, who blocked it simply. Hinata put on a series of kicks and thrusts, but none seemed effective. Neji was doing well, but he kept on getting distracted by Hinata. In a flash, Neji disappeared, but he was gone for such a small amount of time, no one noticed.

"I've had enough of this foolishness! DIE!" Blood splattered as Nynia punched her fist forwards. There was a dark cough and a shudder.

"NEJI!" Her voice was panicked and scared as Neji clutched the arm of Nynia, who was in shock. It seemed her fist (which was now glowing a violent red) had gone through the wrong person. She pulled her hand from the lifeless corpse and Neji collapsed, along with Hinata.

The kunoichi stared into his lifeless face before slowly standing. Not a single tear stained her cheek.

"You." Her eyes landed on Nynia and the veins began throbbing again. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

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**Hinata's weird when she's in a rage, innit she?**

**Hinata: Umm...uh...twiddles with thumbs**

**Neji: Blehh...lying on ground dead**

**Simmeh: throws flowers over Neji's body So sad, so sad. D I MEAN...I'll update soon. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Scroll Seven is up. So enjoy. This chapter is heartbreaking, in my opinion. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Never will. I DO own Farhena, Aiku, and Nynia however, and the plot, so no sticky paws! K

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Scroll Seven — Heart Throb

Nynia blinked and then gasped as Hinata's palm hit her in the stomach. She coughed up a large amount of blood, panting. "Aiku! Farhena! Dammit, help!" she cried

By the time the Sound ninja had stood, Hinata was in a full rage. She darted forward, sending a series of well organized kicks and thrusts towards her enemy, until Nynia threw up.

"CRAAAAAP!" Aiku yelled, trying to hit Hinata by tackling her. The Hyuga easily dodged, poking the back of his neck and watching his stunned expression before he fell to the ground.

"Wh–wh–what did y-y-you DO?!" cried Farhena, trembling from her spot on the tree. Hinata's eyes darted up to the last standing ninja. She might as well explain.

"I cut off the flow of chakra to his brain. He'll be dead soon if he's not treated." she replied harshly. Tearfully, Farhena disappeared from her branch and studied her comrade.

Hinata did the same. Slowly, she walked over to the lifeless figure before kneeling. She touched his cheek, then his lips with her pale fingers. They felt rough, and freezing, and it made her heart throb painfully. She sent one glance, and saw that Aiku was coming to.

"You'll never wake up again." Hinata murmured softly to his peaceful face. Sadly, through blurred eyes, she pressed her warm, living lips, against his cold ones in a final good-bye.

Wait. Something was wrong. She pulled away and eyed his body once more. It was...Neji was fading! Not into nothingness, however. Into...wood? A log now sat in front of her, a hole protruding from its upper right hand corner.

A doppel ganger! Of course! That's what he must have done when he disappeared for that short second. Her eyes dashed across the scenery in search of her cousin, but she didn't see him. Nynia was now standing, clutching her stomach.

"Damn you! Dammit all! Quit hiding, you worthless scum!" yelled the sound ninja angrily, glancing in an irritated way around the clearing.

"Sorry I was gone for so long, Hinata. But you are amazingly powerful. I was shocked — even stronger than before. So...did you miss me?" Standing in a branch was Neji, a bit of an arrogant smirk on his lips. His pale face was watching her. "Sorry you kissed a log...Of course, I would've rather it have been me, but unfortunately, that'd mean I was dead.

Hinata sniffed and closed her eyes in relief. "Y-you're alive!" she whispered, trying not to let the tears drain from her eyes.

"Of course I'm alive." he said softly, appearing besides her. He then pulled her into a tight hug. "You can cry. I won't tell." he insisted, stroking her hair. But she didn't cry. She gentle moved away from Neji and turned to face the Sound Three.

Farhena was glancing around nervously, fidgeting and flinching, looking at Hinata and Neji every now and then. Her lip quivered and Aiku glared at her.

"Dammit..." he murmured. "Why won't they die...? If we don't – if we don't bring back someone from Konoha...we'll never be accepted...everything's going wrong...GOD DAMMIT!" he said shakily, before screaming the last two words.

Farhena flinched again, before walking over carefully to Hinata, who twitched away from her a bit.

"Please...Hinata Hyuga-sama. Let us come with you to the Village Hidden in Leaf and Tree! Please. We–we are not accepted Ninja. Please. We've been trying to prove ourselves for the longest time. I can understand why you wouldn't but we...we need your help! And – I want to see Kurenai-chan again!" The girl was in tears, and they dripped to the ground as she cried. Nynia was glaring stubbornly, yet sadly, at the forest ground, and Aiku was averting his eyes into the trees.

Hinata had already made up her mind. "A-A-Alright. I know what it's like to want to prove yourself." She shot a quick glance at Neji, who was staring at the ground with wide eyes. "So please...join us." Hinata's voice was soft, and Neji looked stunned.

Farhena began crying harder, sobbing. Nynia walked forwards and touched her comrade's back, and Farhena turned around and began to cry on Nynia's shoulder.

Hinata looked over at Neji and smiled a broken smile. "I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have invited them, but I had to. Farhena says that she's Kurenai's sister, and she's part of my mission as well, so this is a good thing...right?" As she said this, she furrowed her brow into a frown. Kurenai has a younger sister. How...strange,

"I...suppose." said Neji, sighing as he gave in to Hinata. His cousin laughed and smiled at him. She felt her brow crease and her lips turn down as she watched him. Hinata wasn't sure why, or how, but not being alone and near him so much would be incredibly painful. Farhena seemed to read her expression.

"Please, don't worry." said the Sound ninja. "We'll stay close, but not with you. You two are very close. Don't let our selfishness ruin your relationship."

Hinata smiled at Farhena's generosity. She would have the chance to ponder her feelings fort her cousin later. But for now, she would smile. He was alive. He was next to her. He was with her. To Hinata, that was all that mattered.

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**I really like this chapter! Yay, Neji's alive! **

**Neji: WEWT!  
Hinata: TT I cry tears of joy!  
Farhena, Aiku, Nynia: You three are crazy.  
Simmeh: YAY CRAZY! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally, Scroll Eight has been uploaded. I'm really tired, and I've uploaded three chapters for each of my stories today, so I'm taking a bit of a break.**

**Haha, not, I can't take a break. It'd kill me! But this is the last update for a few days...Thanks for reading! MUST GET MORE REVIEWS! Please?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naru.

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Scroll Eight — Sneak

"Well...Neji-kun. I have finished my mission and have Farhena. What supplies to you need?" Hinata asked her cousin once they were setting up camp.

"Actually, I got all but one at the marketplace. Gai wants me to get him a certain kind of bandage, to teach Lee some new move." he replied, looking over at his cousin.

"You three should stay somewhere near here, since you aren't wanted in Sound. Neji and I will sneaked in and get the bandages and then leave. Hopefully, we'll be done by nightfall." Hinata decided.

"NO! Hinata, I don't want you to be in any danger." said Neji in a hushed voice, grabbing her arm sternly.

"I'm going for YOUR safety. A lone Leaf Nin would get jumped easily, even you. Especially since you have the infamous kekkei gekkei. On top of it as well."

"She's right, you know." Nynia said, pulling her hair from her face. With those words, Neji gave him and nodded, and the two left together.

A few moments later, when they were walking to Sound, Hinata accidently brushed her hand against Neji's, and in return, he loosely took her hand and squeezed. Hinata blinked, but smiled anyway, twining her fingers in his happily. But Neji's hand was soon gone.

He was untying his forehead protector, so that the curse seal shone in the nearing darkness. He then closed his eyes in concentration. Hinata saw what he was doing, and copied the jutsu, tucking her headband into her bag. She then closed her eyes, concentrating her chakra so that it flowed into her eyes. She then opened her eyes and saw that the curse mark was faded, and that Neji's eyes were an indigo blue. She had changed hers to a pale green, and they were now watching each other.

Hinata could tell that it was taking Neji every ounce of strength not to burst out laughing at her. She felt her cheeks redden, and sighed, again concentrating the smallest amount of chakra to flow to her eyes. She then changed her eyes to a midnight blue color, not unlike Neji's, that almost matched her hair.

"Now we look like twins." Neji said in a pleasant voice, taking his hair from the ribbon, and then walking behind Hinata. He ran his fingers through her hair, pulling out her own tie.

"Wear mine instead, and I'll keep yours." he whispered into her ear. Hinata couldn't help but shiver when she felt something brush against the back of her neck underneath her hair. She guessed in her head what had just touched her neck...it was somewhat obvious.

"My lips must've been rough the last time. I hope they're softer now." Neji murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist in a tight hug from behind. Hinata could feel her heart beating, faster, faster. She was sure he could feel it too, but it wasn't a bad thing. If anything – she felt happy.

Neji easily turned her sadness into laughter, melt away her hanger, make her heart thud more and more. His embrace was always strong, but soft, warm somehow.

She turned around in Neji's hug to look at him. She could feel his grip loosen, allowing her to feel more free. He clasped his hands behind Hinata, smiling down at her. "You're warm." he said happily, before squeezing Hinata to him gently.

"You too." she responded kindly, resting her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his hear. "But we should go now. We promised to be back by nightfall, right?" Her voice had slight warning.

"Yes, we did." Neji sighed. "I'd prefer to just hold you like this instead of buy something for Lee, but I suppose it can't be helped."

"No, it can't." Hinata replied in a somewhat strict voice. Calmly, she removed his arms from around her waist, but ended up taking his hand absent mindedly. She then began skipping slightly towards Sound, ignoring the look of surprise and happiness as she held his hand.

Both of them were nervous as they approached Sound. Hinata was clearly jittery and worried. She kept twiddling with her thumbs and glancing around almost as badly as Farhena.

Neji was nervous, but he hid it well. "Don't let them sense your fear." he hissed, before grasping her hand tightly and walking towards the gates of Sound.

Though they called themselves Hidden Villages, they weren't too difficult to find. Altogether, the name was just for show.

Quickly, without a sound, Neji made a few hand seals and the guard was knocked out. Hinata did her best not to gasp, and barely succeeded.

"It's alright, I just made him faint. " Neji whispered. "We sneak in, buy the bandages, and we leave. No one will know we're from Leaf. We get in, we get out. No one gets hurt." Hinata nodded in agreement. That was how it had to go.

Carefully, the two walked through the gates, avoiding attention as well as they could. Luckily, their worn clothes wouldn't be a show off. They walked through the village in silence, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, though the hand holding made some giggling children notice them.

"Here." Neji said, walking into a small shop. Hinata followed anxiously, glancing around the shop quickly. Nothing suspicious. Neji picked out the bandages and left the store, Hinata still clinging to his arm.

They were almost there. The gates were so close, he could almost taste victory. And they hadn't been noticed at all. And then, suddenly, Hinata's presence disappeared. Neji took a sharp intake of breath in and his eyes darted in every direction. He then swore under his breath, and dashed away.

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**Dundundun. R&R please.  
Luff, Simmeh**


	9. Chapter 9

**FINALLY, I updated. Sorry it took so long. I don't like this chapter much, I've written better, but I was reading Twilight while writing this chapter (not at the same time, you know what I mean!) so it kind of made me think of the idea for what would happen to Hinata...So please, be gentle, and know that there's only TWO SCROLLS LEFT. Zomg.

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Scroll Nine — Capture, then Release

"What?! What would anyone want that girl for anyway?!"

"Well, she is quite pretty..."

"Shut up, Aiku! This is no time to make jokes. But...Neji-kun, what would they want with Hinata-san?"

"..."

"Neji-kun?"

"...Dammit. I don't know. But if we don't hurry, she'll—"

"Don't even go there..."

"Be more sensitive, Aiku!"

"N–N–Neji-sama...If you could u-use the B-B-Byakugan...It might be helpful in finding h-her—Hinata's captures."

"I did, Farhena-san. We know who they are and where they are, but I can't keep track of them all the time. They're just kids, but they're dangerous, I can tell. I just hope they don't really want her for more than hostage purposes."

The four shivered at the unwelcome thought, and Farhena whimpered a bit.

"We should hurry." Nynia's voice was hard and rough as it cracked.

Neji nodded weakly and Aiku stood. "The mission is to find and protect Hinata-sama — right? Come on, let's go!"

Neji was in utter despair. His depression of losing one of the most important things in his life made him slower and obviously weaker. Farhena kept glancing sadly at him, unsure if she could — or should — cheer him up.

But once they were near enough that Hinata's presence was detectable, it all disappeared, replaced by fury in his eyes as they popped and thrubbed.

"They're near." Neji hissed, walking forwards in the wooded landscape. Each step he took was careful as he tried to be unpredictable. Nynia, Aiku, and Farhena all stood at the edge of the forest, frozen.

There were a few moments of silence — and then:

"So! You have found..."

"Our fortress! Your woman is inside. Will..."

"You claim her? If so you'll have to...

"Get through..."

"Us! The Enemies Two!"

Suddenly, in front of Neji were two boys, who could be no older than twelve. One of them wore a Sound forehead protector, the other a Sand. They were identical, and the only difference between them were their headbands and clothes. Obviously, this had brought on the slightly awkward name, Enemies Two. Sound and Sand were not on the best of terms.

Aiku saw the kids and felt he could get through easy. "Move out of the way, twerps." he snapped. This was a very bad choice of words.

Aiku was flat on the ground in a second, the boy with the Sound symbol on his forehead growling, his foot on his throat. "Don't you dare underestimate us! WE may be young, but we caught a Hyuga! And no one even noticed!"

Aiku stood weakly as the foot was moved from his throat, scowling at the Sound boy. "Where is Hinata?" There was a hard edge in Neji's voice, which made the twins flinch flightly.

"That weak little thing? If you must know — she's inside. But you — you're not going to save her! You'll never save her! Got that?" Though the boy was young, his voice was strict, warning them of some danger. The Sand ninja was now standing besides him.

But before the Sound boy's twin could speak, Neji was — "Weak, you say?" His voice was poisonously quiet. "I suppose strong, according to your standards, is nothing more than sneaking up on your opponent and holding what it precious to them hostage!"

The fury in the voice by the boy calling Hinata weak was well disguised as disgust — though he still did find it disgusting, what they did and their definition for the word weak. The boys flinched again, but the one from Sound glowered back.

"So what?! We can't have out own opinion?! We captured her no? And you came! And she's going to die! SOON! She can't breathe! You've been wasting your time with us when you should be saving her!" he cried. He didn't understand why he had admitted their plan, but Neji was gone before he could stop him. His Sand comrade sighed.

I'm relieved you didn't let that poor girl die. I was scared. I didn't want to be a murderer." the Sand boy whispered.

"I'm sorry, Aka. I'm glad that Hyuga boy saved her, too, though. She was crying. She said something about being in love."

"Wow, Kane, that's so...mature of you. I never thought you would care about love."

Kane scowled, before his eyes darted to the three Sound Ninja, and he frowned. "You three...you were exiled. You really shouldn't be so close to Sound. But I guess you're just brave, huh?" None of them answered, for Neji and Hinata were walking out of the cabin.

Hinata was in a horrible condition. Rope burns covered her face. Her wrists were marked and bleeding slowly as Neji carefully took off the chains that had bound her. She looked completely weak and lost, her eyes dull. Her hair was also unevenly cut. The front was longer, but it seemed the hair she had spent time growing had been cut gingerly with a kunai, so that it was too short to pull up again.

Hinata was clutching pieces of Neji's ribbon in her left hand. Whether it was the whole ribbon or not was impossible to tell, but it most likely wasn't, considering the bits were slashed many times. "I'm sorry, Neji-kun...I lost your ribbon." Hinata said shakily.

"It's okay, I can just get another one." said Neji soothingly, stroking her short hair. Hinata closed her eyes tightly, trying her best not to cry. Neji hummed a soft lullaby as he stroked her chopped hair.

"It hurts..." Hinata suddenly gasped in a quiet voice. Her lavender eyes opened, wider and wider as she bit down on her tongue in pain. "It's burning...why is it burning? Someone put out the fire...please...please..." Hinata begged, as tears streaked down her cheeks and she clutched one of her bloody wrists.

Neji stared at his cousin for a moment, fear gathering. "What did you do?!" he yelled, turning on the two boys. Their eyes were wide with shock and Kane swore loudly, as Aka darted back into the cabin.

"We didn't do anything! It was Dante...Dante's sort of...well..." Kane coughed nervously, examining the pain that Hinata was in. He bit his lip and let the truth out. " A vampire."

Hinata's pained screams drowned out Neji's furious yells. Aka had brought out a very pale boy, who was tall with dark gold hair and very dark golden eyes. The boy was scowling and looked slightly guilty as he eyed Hinata's wounds. It was obvious that this was the vampire, Dante.

"Heal her! If she dies...worse, if she becomes something like you..." Kane snarled, not finishing his train of thought. The vampire sighed, then walked over to Hinata, taking her arms gently in his. She was still sobbing in pain as he leaned in and sucked the venom from one of her wrists.

Neji watched with wide eyes as Hinata's arms dropped and she started panting. There was now a scar across her left-hand wrist, almost as if she had slit it. Dante sighed weakly and helped her to her feet. But Hinata stumbled away, clinging with difficulty to Neji.

"I'm sorry." began Dante. "I just haven't smelled blood in a very long while — not human blood, at least — and umm, she was just so hard to resist. I usually don't feed on humans. But she was bleeding." The vampire shuffled his feet nervously and watched Hinata leaning her head shakily against Neji's chest as her pain subsided.

"As long as she's alive, that's all I care about." Neji murmured, lifting Hinata's pale face up in his hands. Her eyes were half opened, and it was obvious she barely knew what was going on. This made it easier on Neji — before she could protect, he had pressed his lips against hers gently. Even if she could only register what was going on by a little, she still thought her heart might stop.

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**Again, sorry it took so long to update...hope you enjoyed this story. Luff Simmeh. **


	10. Chapter 10

**This is the second to last chapter. I just want to hurry and finish this...

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Scroll Ten — Reasoning.

When Neji kissed her, all the ninja and vampire alike looked away awkwardly. But neither Neji or Hinata seemed to care. Though Hinata felt shocked and curious, she obviously didn't think it mattered. But all good things come to an end, it's true for everything. When Neji let her go, all he could do was look guiltily down at her.

Hinata was no watching him, though. She was staring at the ground, touching her lips. "That's...that's the second time you've kissed me." she finally murmured. "Kisses are so warm."

Neji blinked and laughed. "Of course they are! There's no such thing as a cold kiss." he said, chuckling at her words. When she didn't reply, he looked back down at her, worried.

"But...when you saved me...my lips must have been cold. I'm sorry." she said, and she sounded so sincere. Neji smiled softly and touched her hair.

"May I kiss you again? ...A warm kiss?" Neji asked, again touching her cheek and leaning down slowly, giving her a chance to react badly if she wished. Hinata didn't reply in words. But her eyes showed it. They were pale and looked almost in pain, yet longing, waiting for the moment. Then, their lips were again together, and Hinata smiled, melting.

The next few says went by awkwardly, in an almost silent manner. Both Neji and Hinata were too nervous of past events to even speak to each other. When Farhena offered to join them for their journey back home, they each accepted gratefully.

Late at night one day, Farhena and Hinata were talking — after making sure Neji was fast asleep, of course.

"Are you really Kurenai-sensei's sister?" Hinata asked, twiddling her thumbs nervously. She was surprised to see Farhena's faint smile.

"No, actually, I'm not." she replied. "When I was younger, my parents were both killed in a battle with Sand. They were from Stone. They left me in the care of a trusted otonin, so that's who I grew up as. But then, he died as well, when fighting against Konoha. When Kurenai found me in the burning home, she took me in. But I ran away about six years ago, when I was 13. I came back here, and found Nynia and Aiku. I was around when he lost his arms to another sound ninja. After that, I turned into the nervous, stuttery little girl I am!" After she explained, she laughed. A hard, cold, mean laugh. The face she made didn't fit her personally, her small features. It made Hinata want to wince. But she didn't.

"I guess we all have painful pasts." Hinata murmured, tightening her hold on her own fingers, sighing. It was hard to accept such a horrible truth.

"Actually, Nynia and Aiku are relatively normal, excusing the amazingly stubbornness and loss of arms. Nynia grew up with a happy Sound family. She's probably the most normal. I don't know how she met Aiku or became an outcast." Farhena explained, shrugging.

"As for Aiku...His father left when he was young and he was raised by his mother and older sister. They were both killed when Konoha fought up."

Hinata stared at the ground in shock after hearing this information. She glanced at Neji and sighed weakly. Ever since he had...kissed her...she had been distant with him. Truly, she wasn't sure why.

When she looked back, she realized Farhena was staring at her sadly. "You can cry. It's okay. Sometimes you have to shed a tear or two." Farhena's voice was caring, soft, sad, but understanding. "You...you love him, don't you?"

Hearing these words, she felt her heart tighten and her eyes sting. "I don't want to cry." That wasn't true though, she realized. She wanted to cry, but she was afraid. Before she could stop them, tears were dripping down her cheeks.

Hinata closed her eyes tightly and hugged her knees to her chest on the wooden seat, holding her face and sobbing quietly. She could feel Farhena's gentle stare and sobbed harder.

Farhena began to sing a lullaby in the same soft, perfect voice, reaching out and touching Hinata's shoulder. Hinata flinched, and she withdrew.

After a few minutes, Farhena spoke again. "I just don't know what to do with her. She's been crying like this for the last fifteen minutes. Can you help."

At first, Hinata was surprised. She looked up and saw that Neji was awake. Though she had cried maybe too much for one night, the tears continued to stream down her cheeks uncontrollably.

As his arms wrapped around to comfort her, Hinata felt a pang of guild and anger. She pushed him off, looking away.

"Hinata..." Neji moaned, "Don't be so selfish. Would it help if I said I was sorry for kissing you? It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, you know?"

She thought she's scream. They had it all wrong! His kiss had been one of the happiest things in her life. If he took it back, she thought her heart might shatter, but she'd still love him with all the little pieces.

"No, Neji. That's not what I want. I don't want you to feel sorry for me or to think I didn't want that kiss." Her voice was more strained than usual. "Because I really did. It made me happy. Of all the people to be sorry, it should be me. It's my fault. Neji, I really do lo—"

Hinata was cut off when he pressed his index finger to her lips. She stared at him in silence, waiting. He said nothing for a while and then — "Me too."

That was all the reasoning either of them needed. Neji dipped his head down, ignoring the gentle "aw" Farhena made, and kissed her. That moment was bliss — it was all that mattered.

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**Tada. D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yet another short chapter, yet a good ending for my first fanfic. Understand that I wrote this all in a notebook, and wasn't paying much attention when I created it. Also, I had no idea how long they would appear on this website, or that I'd even be putting this in this website. ANYWAY - this chapter is dedicated to Cold-Melissa, who obviously owns, and who inspired me to write the whole thing.**

**I'd like to thank all of my reviewers! I before 'e' except after 'c'. Remember that kiddies, and you won't have to keep trying to type 'reviewers' again and again! **

**Thank you for reading and being patient with me. It really means a lot! Enjoy the final chapter of Blooming Flower: Neji and Hinata.

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Scroll Eleven — Ending

"Ah, Konoha is so close. It looks so beautiful from the trees, doesn't it, Neji-kun?" Hinata said, as she hopped into another tree. She was right, of course, the beauty of the place was amazing, but a horrid thought made her eyes grow blind to her hometown, and all its greatness. What would happen when they reached Konoha, when they got back to their home? When she shot a glance at Neji, she could tell he was thinking the same thing.

"I'll convince your father, Hinata-chan. He likes me, I know he does. And...it will mean that I can protect you. Forever." Neji replied, trying to keep his voice calm, but it wasn't, it was slightly shaky, as if he was the tiniest bit frightened over the entire prospect of seeing her father, and telling him about them

Hinata blushed a pale pink and turned her head to the ground, jumping into the next tree. To her, that sounded a lot like a proposal. She shivered at the thought, though it wasn't a bad shiver. It was a pleasant shiver.

The last few days passed by much too quickly. Aiku and Nynia hung nerby, while Neji, Hinata, and Farhena stayed together. It was a bit like a family. However Hinata often thought, as they approached Leaf, that they would be separated. Altogether, though, she thought her father extremely selfish. After taking such poor care of her after her mother's death, he expected her to go along and marry whomever he pleased? To her, that was just stupid.

It was too much. But that night, the arrived at Konoha. It was dusk, and the sun's orange glaze across the sky mingled with the dark purples, creating blood-like reds, making all of them shudder.

"C'mon, Farhena, AIku, Nynia. It's time we see Kurenai." Hinata murmured as they headed to the gates, holding Farhena's hand. Over these past few weeks, she had grown to be quite good friends with the gentle girl. Surprisingly enough, when they neared the gates, Kurenai was standing at the gates, obviously waiting for them.

"Kurenai-sensei." said both Neji and Hinata, though Hinata did not bow. Kurenai nodded her head sharply to Neji, and accepted each of their greetings with a small smile. Soon enough, however, her eyes were on Farhena.

"You've changed." was all she said. Farhena stared back through large eyes. She was hardly holding back the tears that threatened to obscure her eyesight.

They hugged, and Neji glanced at Hinata, the tiniest of smiles on his lips. "Since she's here, Hinata-chan, why not...Why don't we just tell her while we have the chance? It'll be easier." he murmured to her. Hinata felt her chest tighten, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She nodded, and wondered how she could possibly admit being in love to Kurenai.

Once Kurenai and Farhena were finished, Neji spoke at once. "Kurenai-sensei, Hinata and I want to tell you something. Well, I suppose I can say it." Neji paused, searching for the right words, and Hinata stared at him through large eyes. "I...I am in love with Hinata."

Even though he had said it before, it didn't stop her stomach from fluttering, or for her heart to skip a beat. When she looked back up to see her sensei, she was shocked to see the soft eyes Kurenai displayed to them.

"And Neji, can you tell me...Does Hinata feel the same way?" Kurenai's voice cracked, and Hinata had the urge to reach out a hand to comfort her. For a moment, she hesitated, however, to answer her sensei's question, too worried about Kurenai to know what to say. Then, slowly, smiling, she nodded. Kurenai smiled too, swallowed down tears, and nodded with her.

"We're ready. Please don't worry about us. I will talk to my father about things. I'm sure he will learn to compromise." Hinata said, her courage that had been gained over this mission disguising all weakness in her voice. She took Neji's hand and squeezed it carefully. "Well...Shall we go now?" she asked, gently laughing.

Neji laughed as well, and replied with something a bit off topic. "Truly, I don't want to know how Lee, Gai, and Tenten will react. Lee and Gai are sure to mention the power of youth, or some stupidity of the sort, and Tenten will either get jealous, or tease me, or something stupid. So they can wait. So can Shino and Kiba. I think our first task is to tell your father, right? Don't be afraid, Hinata. No matter what happened, I will always be with you." Neji said, his voice soft and kind as he smiled at his cousin.

Hinata felt a bubbling inside of her and squeezed his pale fingers tighter. "Yes!" she responded, smiling up at him. "No matter what happens, I, too, will always be with you."

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**And of course, it's over. Thanks for reading! I know I enjoyed writing this! **


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